After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in psychology, she worked in logistics for a brief time before deciding
that law school was her next step. She explained that many people who obtain psychology
degrees go on to law school.

"Going to law school was a new idea for me," Patton said. "I didn't know that I wanted
to do it at first, but my psychology degree played very well into studying for and
taking the LSAT."

As an investigator for Walmart, her degree in psychology is useful when she interviews
people about alleged violations of company policy. These violations can range from
allegations of fraud, financial integrity, claims of harassment or ethics infractions
within the company.

Her job is to collect facts which entails evaluating allegations and then determining
the next steps to be taken regarding investigation, as well as communicating with
the legal team and the ethics department. All of this is followed by sitting down
and talking to the people involved, which is where Patton said her psychology degree
gives her an advantage.

To do her job properly, Patton has to look at someone's behavior from different angles.
For an investigation to be thorough, it's essential for an investigator to evaluate
the veracity of the individuals involved to help determine the next steps in the investigation.

Patton also said her psychology degree is particularly applicable in today's job market.

"I would say it's extremely relevant all the time," she said. "A psychology degree
is diverse, and you can use a psychology degree to go into any career that you want."

Patton said she hopes that current psychology students are studying the subject because
they genuinely enjoy it and are passionate about it. Part of going to a university,
she said, is the joy of learning. She also wanted current students to know that there
are many people in her line of work who came from the FBI or law enforcement backgrounds
who may not have a degree in psychology, but who use psychology skills every day in
their work.

Patton said she is thankful for the continued support of the U of A psychology department.
She described how the professors in the department have continued to keep in touch,
and how they continue to care about their students' success long after graduation.
She said that Joel Freund, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology,
has been a great mentor ever since she has known him.

For Freund, seeing students like Patton succeed is the sweetest success. With this
in mind, Freund said he and his colleagues would like to connect with even more of
the program's graduates.

"If you graduated with a psychology degree, please send me an email with a brief description
of your journey," he said. "We'd love to know if you are in a career you like, how
you got there and how what you learned here played a role. This is very inspiring
for our current students as well."